Consultant Review

I think I was slightly unfortunate in the project I was given in that it didn't give me much opportunity to interact with other employees. However, Detica is certainly a great place to work - everyone is very friendly and the work is challenging but interesting. The other interns were fantastic and we got along very well, and I feel I learnt a lot from my time.

As mentioned above, my project was really a one-man thing, so I didn't have as much time as I'd like interacting with other people. However, the feedback from my superiors was positive and the nature of the project means I should have made a real positive impact on the company.

You definitely have to be able to get on with things by yourself if you want to work at Detica - management are busy and can't be holding your hand the whole way. However, they are always happy to help with issues you can't solve by yourself, even if you do sometimes have to wait a little while for them to be free.

There was always plenty to be getting on with, but Detica is the sort of company where the employees enjoy a challenge! I never felt snowed under but was never left hanging with nothing to do.

Detica are great in that they give you real input on a project from day 1. Every intern will be making a contribution, and you're not just left fetching coffee. Having said that, there is a strong support network and work with external clients will be supervised - you won't be left on your own.

The experience of working at Detica taught me a lot. I would have liked to spend more time dealing with different people, but the project I completed was valuable experience in planning, implementing and documenting a system, which will definitely be helpful in my degree course.

Everyone in Detica is very friendly and gets on well. Having said that, everyone works hard, so you can't just chat to your colleagues for hours on end. Overall it was a very positive, productive atmosphere.

This was a slightly weaker area - I only found out about my face-to-face interview 3-4 days before (and had to prepare a presentation for it), and there were two or three areas which weren't organised as well as they could have been. I was left waiting for certain hardware which should have been available as soon as I arrived. However, overall the organisation wasn't bad, and I feel that Detica are making progress - they've asked for feedback on the internship and will hopefully implement some of the interns' suggestions.

At the beginning of the internship I had a full week of training in various areas - a slimmed-down version of the training new graduate employees receive. Throughout the internship there were opportunities to continue training (such as short sessions on presentation skills, negotiation and so on).

I'd very much like to return to Detica, either for a second internship or for a full time job

The other interns are really good fun, and we get along very well. We tend to have lunch together and go somewhere after work perhaps once a week.

London is, as expected, expensive! I was lucky in that I have family living in London I could stay with. Food and drinks are obviously pricier than elsewhere in the country, but if you go for a couple of drinks in the evening it's only going to cost you £2-£3 more than if you went out anywhere else. Also, the subsidised cafe in the London office is actually very good value for the quality and amount of food - and the offices are well stocked with fruit/biscuits and soft drinks to keep you going!

The area around the London office has lots of bars, restaurants and pubs. Obviously, London is pretty good for nightlife in general!

Detica has a number of social and sports clubs, but I felt that due to the short length of my internship it wasn't really worth getting involved. Some, like the film club, have events every month or so that are open to everyone.